Deck lid hinge



une Z5, 1956 T. vlGMosTAD 2,75L25 DECK LID HINGE Filed Feb. 23, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 1N V EN TOR. ffl/ ylf/fazzadf www@ June 26, 1956 T, V|GMQSTAD 2,75L525 DECK LID HINGE Filed Feb. 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENToR.

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United States Patent ce Patented June 26, 1956 DECK LID HINGE Trygve Vigmostad, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by rnesne assignments, to Chrysler Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application February 23, 1951, Seal No. 212,428

Claims. (Cl. 16-163) This invention relates to a hinge device which is particularly but not exclusively adapted for hingedly connecting an automobile rear deck lid to the vehicle body.

An 'object of the invention is to provide an improved compact hinge device of simplified, economical construction for a swinging member, such as an automobile rear deck lid, which is particularly efficient in operation and which occupies a minimum space in the vehicle storage compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a hinge device having improved means for counterbalancing the lid during opening and closing thereof and which incorporates simple and improved means for holding the lid in the open or raised position Without recourse to the usual deck lid stay or like supporting means, yet which permits the lid to be readily and simply closed without the necessity of rst breaking a toggle joint or releasing a stay or other support as customarily employed to hold a vehicle rear deck lid in the raised position.

Another object is to provide an improved hinge structure which is particularly adapted for use with a rear deck lid of considerable curvature, and which will swing the lid bodily rearward from the vehicle and simultaneously upward to a raised position, whereby a curved lid may be raised with a minimum of overall forward swinging, thus eliminating the usual diiliculty of avoiding contact between the curved lid in the raised position and upper portions of the vehicle body.

Another and more specific object is to provide a simple and improved hinge means of the foregoing character for an automobile rear deck lid, including a hinge arm rigidly secured to the deck lid and having a generally horizontal forward extension offset below the lid when the lid is in closed position and suspended from the body by a pair of swinging links, one rearward of the other. The rearward link extends generally vertically when the deck lid is in closed position, being pivotally connected at its lower end to the hinge arm extension at a location rearward of the latters forward end and being pivotally connected to the body above said location. The other or forward link inclines generally rearward, being pivotally connected at its lower end to the forward end of the hinge arm extension and being pivotally connected to the body somewhat below and forward of the upper pivotal connection of the rst named or rearward link. Thus as the links swing rearward and upward about their fixed ends pivoted to the body, the hinge arm extension will swing bodily rearward from the generally horizontal position to a generally upright position, thereby raising the lid from closed to open position.

Cooperating with the swinging hinge links and serving as an approximate counterbalance for the weight of the lid during opening and closing movements are a pair of spring urged toggle links pivotally connected together near adjacent ends and operatively connected between the body and hinge arm extensions to. move from a folded condition almost to a straightenedcondition upon corresponding swinging movement of the lid from closed to open position. A torsion spring engaged with the toggle links yieldingly urges the same from the folded condition to said almost straightened condition, whereat the toggle leverage is effective to hold the lid surely and safely in the open or raised position. By such a construction, as the lid is moved from open to closed position, the eective weight of the lid tending to swing the same to closed position gradually decreases. Likewise the counterbalancing leverage of the folding toggle links gradually decreases, permitting opening and closing of the lid with minimum manual effort.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective View showing the rear end of a Vehicle body having a rear deck-lid hingedly mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention, portions of the deck lid being broken away to show the location of the hinge structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing details of the hinge structure in the closed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the deck lid and hinge structure in the raised or open position.

it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology'employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, details of a preferred embodiment and application of the present invention are illustrated by way of example with a hinge device employed to mount a conventional automobile rear deck lid A on a vehicle body B. Preferably two similar hinge devices for the lid A are employed, one near each side of the body B and substantially the same in structure and 'operation as the other. Accordingly details of the device at the left side of the vehicle only are shown and discussed herein.

The Vdeck lid A comprises in the present instance spaced outer and inner sheet metal panels lll and 11 and a pair of laterally spaced hinge arms 12. Each arm 12 is rigidly bolted to the inner panel 11 by bolts 13 adjacent the forward upper edge of the deck lid and is formed with an offset portion 14 which extends generaily horizontally forward at a level below the bolts 13 when the lid is in closed position. Each hinge device is supported by means of a bracket 15 having an embossment or pivot supporting plate 16 extending in a generally longitudinal vertical plane` The bracket 15 is secured to a rigid vertical bracket element i7 of the body structure by a plurality of bolts 18 and clinch nuts i9, Figs. 2 and 3.

Each hinge arm extension 14 is hiugedly connected to the associated pivot supporting plate 16 on the same side of the vehicle by means of a pair of swinging links of apy end lto the upper rearward portion of the plate 16 by a flanged pivot 22. The lower end of the link20 is'pivotally secured to the offset hinge arm extension 14 near the latters rearward end by a iianged pivot .23. The control link 21, slightly 'shorter than the link Z0 in the present instance, is pivotally connected at Vfits 'lowerend tothe extension 14 adjacent the latters "forward 'end 'by means .of a'ange'd 'pivot 24, and is pivotally connected to the Vplate 16 by a ange'd pivot 25 at a location somewhat below and forward of the pivot 22, being disposed at a rearward vincline when the deck lid is in closed position, Fig. 2.

The dimensions of the links 20, 21`and the locations of their respective pivotal connections with the plate 16 and hinge arm extension 14`are determined'so that upon rearward swinging of theselinks about the lixed axes of theirrespective pivots 22 and 25,the hinge arm extension 14 will be swung bodily rearward and counterclockwise through an appreciable arc to the Vopen or raised position, Fig. 4, whereat'the link 20 inclines slightly rearward.

During the preliminary opening movement of the lid A from'the Vclosed position 'of Fig. 2, the link' initially inclining'rearward will swing rearward or counterclockwise through an appreciable Varc to a position inclining forward at the same angle that it initially'inclined rearward, during which movement the pivot 24 will move vrearf'ard without being raised above its initial 'closed position. During this same movement the link 20 will swing rearward or counterclockwise almost to a horizontal position, moving the pivot 23 rearward and upward and causing the hinge arm extension '14 tomove bodily rearward and to swing counterclockwise as aforesaid. Upon continued counterclockwise swinging of the links 20 and 21 to the raised or open position of Fig. 4, both pivots 23 and 24 will move upward, raising the hinge arm and deck lid. ln addition, rearward movement of the lower pivot 24v/ill be greater thanthe rearward movement of theL pivot 23, so that the ,hinge arm and deck lid will continue to swing counterclockwise until the lid reaches the fully open position, Fig. 4. As a result, the lidA is simultaneously swung rearward and upward with a `minimum or" overall forward swinging. The ditlculty of avoiding contact between a decklid of considerable curvature and other portions of the vehicle body when the lid is in the raised position is accordingly eliminated.

Counterbalancing of the deck'lid throughout its swinging movement is accomplished by spring urged toggle means including toggle links 26 and 27 having adjacent ends pivotally connected by a pin 28. The other ends of the links 26 and 27 respectively are pivotally connected at 29-and 3i) to the plate 16 and hinge arm extension 14 adjacent the forward end of the latter in the closed position. ln the present instance the toggle is in folded condition when the lid A is in closed position, the pivot 30 connecting the extension 14 and link 27 being slightly forward of the pivot Z4 and the pivot 29 connecting the plate 16 and link 26 being slightly lforward of and above the pivot 3l). stantially tangentially to the initial swinging movement of the pivot 24 upon 'opening of the lid and are disposed to exert arearward thrust on said extension 14 in the direen'on of its movement to the openposition of the lid.V

The links 26 and 27 are also dimensionedV so as to unfold almost to a straightened condition upon movement of the lid A to open position, Fig. '4, whereat a transverse movethe toggle and opening ofY the deck lid.

The counterbalancing spring force applied to the tog- 4 hooked under a retainer stud 34 projecting from the link 26 'adjacentthe 'pivot 29. Thus the toggle is Yyieldingly urged to an unfolded condition against the weight of the lid tending to swing the same to closed position. By virtue Vof the deck lid mounting shown, including the hinge arm extension 14 suspended from the links 20, 21, the effective weight ofthe lid near the closed position tending to swing the links 20, v21 clockwise approaches a minimum at the same time that the effective counterbalancingforce ofthe spring urged togglealso approachesV 21 clockwise Ybecomes increasingly effective, as :likewise does the vcounterbalancing force of the straightening toggle. Accordingly -by selecting 'a spring 32 of suitable tension and resiliency, the weight of the lid A will be approximately counterbalanced at all pivotal positions so as to minimize the manual effort required either to raise or lower the lid. At th'e fully .closed Lposition Vof the Vlid A whereat the toggle is folded, the weight of the Vlid will readily overcome -the toggle force andhold thelid against a xed keeper to which-it may be latchedby conventional At the open position of the lid whereat .the toggle is nearly straightened, a comparatively light spring force will positively and safelyhold the lid in raised position without recourse tothe usual deck lid stay or overcenter toggle joint or the like. By reason of the Vstop 31, which prevents the .toggle (from unfolding completely to the straightened position, andthe great leverage afforded by the rearward extension of the lid A, the same may be readily swung .closed with slight manual effortV when operated Vfrom'the. usual deck lid handle'S located ;near the rearwardportion of ythelid, Fig. l.

I claim:

l. vIn a hinge device for connecting a rear .deck lid to a vehicle body, a hinge armr adapted to be secured to the lid and to extend generally forward therefrom when the .lid is closed, means for swinging the arm endwisc rear- Thus the pivots 29 and 30 are aligned subgle is effected by a torsion spring 32Vhaving one endv se- Y lower end pivoted on'said arm in Vadvance of the rearward link and having an ,upper end adapted to be pivoted on the body in'advance .of the rearward link, means for exerting a rearward-thrust on the forward end of said arm upon swinging thereof from'the `closed to the open position comprising .a pair of pivotally connected tdggle links 'of approximately .equal lengths, when the lid is closedthe toggle'links being folded and the outer end of one toggle link being pivoted on said arm at a location below the upper ends of the forward and rearward links and in advance of the forward link, also when the lid isclosed the outer end of the other toggle link being adaptedto be Apivoted on the body at a location forward `of'the pivotal connection of the outer end of the iirst toggle link and in alignment'with the latter pivotal connection on a line extending approximately perpendicularly to the forward link, and spring means yieldingly urging unfoldingV of said toggle links. n

2. lu a hinge devicefor'connectinga rear deck lid to a vehicleV body, a hinge arm adapted' to be secured to the lid and to extend generally `horiz'ontally forward therefrom when'the li'd'is closed, means for swinging the arm endwise rearwardly and upwardly from the closed to an open position and for suspending the arm from the body when the lid is-elosed comprising vertically 'swinging forward and rearward links, the Vrearward link extending-generally upright when theilid is closed and havingfa lower end pivoted on said: arm and having an upper end adaptedv to be pivoted on vsaid body, the forward the rearward link and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on the body in advance of the rearward link, means for exerting a rearward thrust on the forward end of said arm upon swinging thereof from the closed to the open position comprising a pair of pivotally connected toggle links of approximately equal lengths, when the lid is closed the toggle links being folded to an angle of less than 45 therebetween and the outer end of one toggle link being pivoted on said arm at a location below the upper ends of the forward and rearward links and in advance of the forward link, also when the lid is closed the outer end of the other toggle link being adapted to be pivoted on the body at a location forward of the pivotal connection of the outer end of the rst toggle link and on a line through the latter pivotal connection which makes an angle of more than 45 with the forward link, the upper ends of said forward and rearward links and the pivotally interconnected ends of said toggle links being approximately in horizontal alignment when the lid is closed, and spring means yieldingly urging unfolding of said toggle links.

3. In a hinge device for connecting a rear deck lid to a vehicle body, a hinge arm adapted to be secured to the lid and extending generally horizontally forward therefrom when the lid is closed, means for swinging the arm rearwardly from the closed position and for suspending the arm from the body when the lid is closed comprising vertically swinging forward and rearward links, the rearward link being substantially upright when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, the forward link being inclined rearwardly when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm in advance of said rearward link and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, means for exerting an endwise rearward thrust on said arm when the lid is closed comprising a pair of pivotally connected toggle links, the outer end of one toggle link being pivoted on the hinge arm near the latters forward end, the outer end of the other toggle link being adapte-i to be pivoted on the body adjacent and in advance of the pivotal connection between the first toggle link and said arm when the lid is closed, and spring means yieldingly urging unfolding movement of said toggle links, said toggle links being substantially equal in length and inclined rearwardly when the lid is closed.

4. In a hinge device for connecting a rear deck lid to a vehicle body, a hinge arm adapted to be secured to the lid and extending forward therefrom when the lid is closed, means for swinging the arm rearwardly from the closed position and for suspending the arm from the body when the lid is closed comprising vertically swinging forward and rearward links, the rearward link being substantially upright when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, the forward link being inclined rearwardly when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm in advance of said rearward link and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, means for exerting an endwise rearward thrust on said arm when the lid is closed comprising a pair of pivotally connected toggle links, the outer end of one toggle link being pivoted on the hinge arm adjacent and in advance of the forward link, the outer end of the other toggle link being adapted to be pivotefl on the body adjacent and in advance of the pivotal connection of the rst toggle link with said arm, and spring means yieldingly urging the latter pivotal connection rearward, and when the lid is closed the pivotal connections at the outer ends of said toggle links and at the lower ends of said forward and rearward links being approximately in horizontal alignment and the anglebetween said toggle links being less than forty-tive degrees.

5. In a hinge device for connecting a rear deck lid to a vehicle body, a hinge arm adapted to be secured to the lid and extending generally horizontally forward therefrom when the lid is closed, means for swinging the arm rearwardly from the closed position and for suspending the arm from the body when the lid is closed comprising vertically swinging forward and rearward links, the rearward link being substantially upright when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, the forward link being inclined rearwardly when the lid is closed and having a lower end pivoted on said arm in advance of said rearward link and having an upper end adapted to be pivoted on said body, means for exerting an endwise rearward thrust on said arm when the lid is closed comprising a pair of pivotally connected toggle links, the outer end of one toggle link being pivoted on the hinge arm adjacent the lower end of the forward link, the outer end of the other toggle link being adapted to be pivoted on the body adjacent and in advance of the outer end of the rst toggle link when the lid is closed, and spring means yieldingly urging unfolding of the toggle links, the toggle links being substantially equal in length and the angle therebetween being less than 45 and the pivotal connections at their outer ends being on a line which makes an angle greater than 45 with the forward link when the lid is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,078,786 Hanba et al Nov. 18, 1913 2,125,247 Roethel July 26, 1938 2,154,733 De Orlow Apr. 18, 1939 2,162,135 Tell June 13, 1939 2,320,752 Roethel June 1, 1943 2,341,847 Roethel Feb. 15, 1944 2,612,651 Roethel Oct. 7, 1952 

